kids with harness leashes?

[debdebdebby13]

How often do you see it at DW?

I'm seriously considering getting one for our upcoming trip for my daughter. She'll be 2 years 9 months at the time of our trip and she gets irritated at having to stay in the stroller for any length of time, but she's Miss Independence and hates having to hold our hand when she's walking. I'm really not up for a week long battle, and she's just not aware enough of her surroundings to be trusted to just walk with us, she's still a baby after all. Plus if its busy I want to have her securely with us at all times.

I'm considering this one:
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3355298

Are there lots of little ones harnessed or will we be the odd ones out?

 

[Puget Peach]

How often do you see it at DW?

I'm considering this one:
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3355298

Are there lots of little ones harnessed or will we be the odd ones out?

OMG! I just read the description for this item.. it says (really, no kidding!)
"For ages 18 and up"

 

[Aliceacc]

I saw enough of them last year that they were completely normal-- not worth noticing because they were everywhere.

Besides, big picture: you do what you need to do in order to keep your kids safe. And if it means that a 2 year old doesn't have to spend her entire day with her arm in the air holding your hand, you'll all have a more pleasant vacation.

I say go for it!

 

[lucas43068]

i always thought these were mean for some reason.
but the faster my daughter gets, the more and more i think about getting one!!

 

[bookwormde]

Just be sure to get one, which has the leash that disconnects from the harness because otherwise they present a serious entanglement hazard on rides.

bookwormde

 

[DISNEYNV]

I never liked them either...prekid! Now when we are in a crowded situation, like at Disney, I bring it along. My DS is a runner and dies not like to be in his stroller for a lengthy period so the harness is a neccesity. We bought the cute plush monkey one at Walmart. I do not care what other people think when it comes to my childs safety, but at Disney there were plenty of kids in harnesses so I wouldn't worry about the looks. Many people happily commented about how cute the backpack monkey was on DSs back! Do what you have to do to keep your child with you if they are prone to wonder at a young age. I also saw some older children with them on as well. At first I though...OMG they are way too old for that, but you never know what types of conditions they may have (autism, mental delays, etc.) People need to keep their negative comments to themselves... Unless a child is in danger or being abused of course! Bring a harness for your child along in your stroller or bag. If you need it it willbe there

 

[Sillyminny40]

My mom is English and while we never had them in Canada, ALL our English relatives used them for the young ones ages 4 and under. They often had the wrist ones with an older child attached to the young one.

 

[vettechick99]

I used one on our 18m at Disney in October. It was nice in that she could run around and be independent. However, the whole situation is a lot like having a dog on a leash. When you want them to stop or turn a certain way, you have to use the leash to do so (I mean if they stopped every time you asked then to, you wouldn't need a leash!).

So it's still a lot of work, but at least you can turn your back and not worry about them running off.

Here is DD with hers:

 

[TheAngelForever]

Before having kids I used to wonder about them. We were lucky and our oldest (now 5) was always good and held onto a hand or stayed in a stroller. Our youngest will be turning 2 while we are at Disney in a few months. He is very different from his brother. He wants to be out of the stroller and on the go. He screams with having a hand held and darts off. After a scare one day I went to Target and bought the Eddie Bauer monkey backpack/harness. He loves it and so do we. He makes monkey sounds when we put it on him and he asks for it. We will definitely be bringing it to Disney for his safety and our piece of mind. I often worried about what others would think, but honestly do not care anymore. We have been pleasantly surprised that many people have complimented us on the monkey and ask where we bought it.

 

[all4fun]

OMG! I just read the description for this item.. it says (really, no kidding!)
"For ages 18 and up"

They must have changed it since yesterday since it says

Our Recommended Age: 18 months - 5 years (details)
Manufacturer's Age: 18 months - 5 years

I used a simple one (parents brand bought at Target) when ds was a toddler and it worked great.

Safety tips - make sure your lo doesn't walk more than a couple of feet from you otherwise the lead could become a tripping hazzard for another guest (also possibly hurting your child in the process). I just tied a loop and knotted the end of ours to make it shorter so that we could just drop it, and it barely touched the ground, so ds wouldn't trip over it. Ds has always been tall for his age, so this worked well for us.

The tip about taking the lead off on rides is a good one.

I see a lot of these at WDW so you shouldn't feel out of place if you use one. The Minnie Mouse will be a hit at WDW, I'm sure!

have fun.

 

[arielmomma]

We have always used them with our toddlers. As mentioned above, get one that is the harness type and allows you to detach the strap easily. Both of my children liked having a bit of freedom to run around, and my husband and I loved that they could do so safely.

 

[Unibits]

The only issue with them that we noticed, when we used it and the venue we were at had hig attendance, some poeple moved without looking and a couple of times, out 2.5 year old went for a wild ride. I was never a big fan of them as personally, i don't think a dog should be on a leash either, they have their places.

Use it with caution and be mindful of the other people around you. Some of the people will give you room and others will think that you are not being considerate of the others in the parks


Just my experience

 

[Mickey'n'Me]

We used one with our 2 year old a couple years ago and it was awesome. She too was miss independent!!! It brings a little piece of mind!!!

 

[Ariel on Land]

Man I LOVE the Disney themed harnesses- Mickey, Minnie, and Pooh!?!? If I didn't have the Monkey and Puppy already, I'd SOOOO be getting those!!!

 

[debdebdebby13]

Alright, I bought the one I linked too. I'm hoping DD will think its cool, because I know she'll figure out that its a leash quickly and if its not cool she'll protest, haha. My child is 2 going on 15

 

[DISNEYNV]

We have been pleasantly surprised that many people have complimented us on the monkey and ask where we bought it.

See...I am not the only one

 

[canuckandy]

I urge you to use great caution with these. I could see an incident involving a bus door/escalator/elevator, do your best to use these only as an absolute back up and never rely on them.

 

[LisaMommy]

They must have changed it since yesterday since it says...

Not in the recommended age bit, but in the actual description...

A fun and friendly way to keep kids close in crowds. Latch on to the tail of the backpack and you have your little ones safely in tow. A VELCRO® brand closure pocket on the back holds kids stuff. It looks cute and gives you peace of mind for family outings. Machine washable. For ages 18 and up.

 

[Puget Peach]

They must have changed it since yesterday since it says

I used a simple one (parents brand bought at Target) when ds was a toddler and it worked great.

Nope - in the full prose description it says:
A fun and friendly way to keep kids close in crowds. Latch on to the tail of the backpack and you have your little ones safely in tow. A VELCRO® brand closure pocket on the back holds kids stuff. It looks cute and gives you peace of mind for family outings. Machine washable. For ages 18 and up.

 

[debdebdebby13]

I urge you to use great caution with these. I could see an incident involving a bus door/escalator/elevator, do your best to use these only as an absolute back up and never rely on them.

I don't plan on using it all the time. If we are waiting for the bus or whatever she'll either be sitting in the stroller waiting or climbing in with us, not wearing the harness. The harness would be for the times she desperately wants to walk but its too busy for me to feel comfortable just relying on her holding our hand.